Representative of the Iraqi Parliament's Security and Defense Committee, Ali al-Kanemi, spoke about the need to build additional air defense clusters. The Iraqi Parliament celebrates, that with the withdrawal of the bulk of the American contingent, the country "needs to learn to defend itself better on its own". At the same time, the emphasis is on, that the United States itself is preventing Baghdad from developing its air and missile defense systems.
According to MP Ali al-Kanemi, today the American ban poses a barrier to Iraq's purchases of the S-300 air defense system from Russia.
Iraqi parliamentarian:
We condemn this approach. US intervenes in Iraqi affairs. It is unacceptable. We must take care of the safety of our country, and therefore very strange, when someone tries to prevent it. Especially strange, when the state does it, calling itself our ally. This is our ally.
The Iraqi Parliament celebrates, that the air borders of the country today are not on 100 percent protected. Points out, how Turkish planes enter Iraqi airspace without hindrance - often without any agreement with the country's authorities.
The Iraqi Defense Ministry confirmed the information that, that for a long time they were negotiating with the Russian Federation on the supply of the S-300 air defense system, but the issue has not been resolved, since the Iraqi government has been pressured by the US.
Al-Kanemi:
We are threatened with sanctions from Washington. For what? For that, that we want to protect ourselves? We have the right to import any weapon from any country in the world, this should be our choice, not a choice on the part of someone else.
